Newport Beach

Southern California is packed with charming beach towns that are one of the reasons people travel here, but one of my favorites is the lesser-known part of Newport Beach.

The seven islands of Newport Beach Harbor lie cradled inside Balboa Peninsula, and are some of the most expensive real estate in Southern California. Homes costing $1.5 million and up are surrounded by one of the world's largest small yacht harbors. Newport Beach is a quiet, relaxed place where you're more likely to meet the harbor patrol than the highway patrol, and you'll hear more birds than automobiles.